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Non-Human Spiritous Apparition

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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened & Hogwarts Legacy.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

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This article is about ghostlike, amortal spirits. You may be looking for animal ghosts, the power to Apparate, or the state of non-being.
B3C9M1 Dementors at the Quidditch match

Dementors

A Non-Human Spiritous Apparition[1] (also known as a non-being)[2] was a type of magical spirit[1] created out of human emotions. They were notable for the fact that they had no real equivalent in the Muggle world,[2] and their similarity to ghosts, despite never having been truly alive.[1]

Origins[]

Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions were something of a mystery even to wizardkind.[1] Being amortal, they were not born and could not be killed,[2][3] only driven off. Non-beings were created from and sustained by human emotions, and new ones would always be created;[2] in short, they grew somewhat like fungi in places where there was decay. Despite the fact that Dementors could not breed,[4] Cornelius Fudge referred to their increase in number as "breeding".[5] At least one type of non-being - the Poltergeist - was an "indestructible spirit".[6]

Powers[]

It seems that many non-beings were more difficult to perceive for Muggles than wizards; Dementors were invisible to Muggles,[7][8] Boggarts were more difficult for them to see and more easily dismissed as figments of imagination,[2] and Poltergeists that formed in Muggle homes were usually invisible and incapable of materialising.[9]

All known non-beings also showed the capability of flying without any form of physical aid.[10]

Defences[]

While non-beings were not truly alive and were unable to be truly destroyed, wizards invented various spells that could drive off these spirits using positive emotions. Their numbers could also be limited by reducing the conditions that would generate them.[3]

Non-beings possessed sentience enough to have emotions, which wizards could use to negotiate with them to make them allies. Dementors were offered to be guards of Azkaban, in exchange for humans supplying them with prisoners to feed off of.[5] Poltergeists could fear a certain authority figure of great power, as Peeves was afraid of the Bloody Baron[11] and Albus Dumbledore,[12] while he respected Fred and George Weasley enough to follow their order to annoy Dolores Umbridge.[13]

Known Non-Human Spiritous Apparition[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Remus Lupin" at Harry Potter (website)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Boggart" at Harry Potter (website)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 30 July 2007 Bloomsbury WebChat with J. K. Rowling
  4. ↑ Accio Quote
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 1 (The Other Minister)
  6. ↑ F.A.Q. question on J. K. Rowling's Official Site (text only)
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 1 (Dudley Demented)
  8. ↑ Extra Stuff: Squibs at J. K. Rowling's official site
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Peeves" at Harry Potter (website)
  10. ↑ Quidditch Through the Ages (real)
  11. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 16 (Through the Trapdoor)
  12. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 8 (Flight of the Fat Lady)
  13. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 29 (Careers Advice)
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